FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to structures and their components which have been treated with equipment and techniques that produce modifications to surface characteristics in either the structures or the components. More particularly, the present invention relates to equipment and techniques for treating substrates and components having commercial and industrial uses, particularly in industrial fabrics. Most particularly, the invention relates to plasma treated components and substrates together with equipment and techniques useful in treating the same in an efficient and accurate manner.
The prior art has recognized the advantages to be obtained by plasma treating and deposition techniques, at low pressure and at atmospheric pressure, to achieve desirable characteristics in a product. Most generally, the products treated in the prior art are single purpose products which were not intended to be exposed to a working condition or an active environment where the treated product is subjected to varying conditions over an extended time period. Furthermore, the prior art products were not exposed to varied treatment over time in a work environment. For example, industrial fabrics are frequently required to work under conditions of high mechanical stress and hostile environments. Special applications, like papermaking, require industrial fabrics that generally work in hot, moist and chemically hostile environments. As such, the fabric may be exposed to high water content in a formation step, heat, pressure and relatively high water content in a pressing step, and then, exposed to high temperatures in a drying step. Thus, the fabrics may see a variety of conditions in the process. Industrial fabrics may also be exposed to varying conditions in industries such as food processing, waste treatment, assembly line processes or surface painting and treating techniques.
The art has recognized that it would be desirable to have substrates and components with certain mechanical properties, such as strength, dimensional stability, and flexibility over extended periods. While these characteristics are desired as properties, it is sometimes desired to have surface properties which are contrary to these properties. For instance, it may be desirable to have a component which exhibits good internal resistance to moisture at its core while having an external affinity for moisture at its surface. It is not uncommon to have a conflict develop between the desired mechanical properties and the preferred surface properties. The prior art has recognized and there have been attempts at producing a mechanically robust core which supports a surface layer that has specific characteristics for the desired application. It has been recognized that important surface layer properties such as hydrophilicity, hydrophobicity, oleophilicity, oleophobicity, conductivity, chemical resistance and abrasion resistance may not necessarily be optimized in a single component which optimizes core properties such as strength, flexibility, and the like.
The present invention addresses the shortcomings of the prior art by providing structures and components which are treated with a highly efficient and controllable plasma treatment. If desired, the structure or component may be further enhanced or modified by exposure to a deposition treatment.